Thomas County cat., 1887-08-11
TURKISH FlRENEfa.

TURKISH FiREMEN.
NJ Radicslous Way In which Thsy ny
to Put Out Elroa.
Not infrequently we are startled by
the report from q cannon. for this is
the method of spreading the news Of a
Ere. 1t is sounded several times from
across the water, the lookout giving
the signal from the height of Galata
tower. so it is heard all up and down
the Bosphorus. The location of the fire
Is then :elegraphed to each village. 1t
is not long before we hear. far in the
distance. a prolonged dismal call. and
we then know that the watchman is
coming to tell all along his way the
place of the confagration. This can
do no good except to satisfy the curl
osity, for were the owner of the burn
Ing building there and the fire in Para
he could not get to it till daylight. and
all night his thoughts would be on the
probable damage done. That, too.
is likely to be great on account OF the
character of the firemsn. There are
attempts at organized companies, but
all consist of the water-carriers, not
such as carry the cool, sweet water for
passengers. but those using leather
bags or bottles to supply houses.
When an alarm is given these all run
with their sacks, or wait to fill them at
the fountain first, and then sit down
and bargain with the owners, and will
not put drop of water on the flames
until they have him agree to the price
they wish for their services. They can
do little good, however, for they use
only a hand-pump that, of course. can
not throw the stream very far nor with
much force. The building is almost
sure to burn to the ground. and were
it not for the frequent stone and brick
walls much more damage would be
done. The firemen, as well as many
others, intend to make as much as pos
sible at this time, and. on the pretense
of saving furniture and other articles,
they enter the house and carry off all
they can, feeling that it belongs to
them, as they have taken it from q
burning building. All houses in
danger of catching are thus entered
also. and it takes the most vigilant of
watching to prevent the loss of every
thing. This causes much more annoy
ance than the fire, for while the latter
can be put out the former are demon
strative.
The watchman who tells us of the fire
is called the Beckgee. His lyon gon
car" (there is conflagration) We
have learned to understand, but all the
remainder of his speech is rapid rum
ming together of words that none but
pract;ced ears can interpret. His
other duty is to pass through the vii
lage several times every night and
on his way pound the stones with his
iron-ferruled stick. This tells the peo-
pie that he is on watch while they
sleep. but it also tells the knave to hide
himself or delay his mischief until the
watchman shall have passed. His sig
nal surely bodies more of evil than of
good, and were he to meet some night
wanderer fear he would be the first to
flee. For, one evening, curious to see
him and his pounding instrument
three of us went out to meet him.
When he saw us he stood still, as if
greatly frightened. and when we called
him it was some little time before he
ventured to draw near. I think his
day occupation more suited to his char
aoter; he is then a saka. or water-car-
rier, and supplies many families with
that necessity at plaster Give cents)
a sackful. He gets it at one of the two
principal fountains that water our vii
lage. Those too poor to hire him 60
themselves to these fountains several
times day. 1t is truly an oriental
sight to see the old stone fountain sur
rounded with vailed women, each with
her pitcher, jug or bucket. The fount-
aims are very numerous. showing that
at some time very perfect water sys-
TEN was in Constantinople Cor.
San Francisco Chronicle.